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Denim has evolved from rough-and-ready blue jeans to more sophisticated and tailored styles.

“Denim has taken on a stylish approach,” says Susan Cernek, senior fashion editor for Glamour.com. “There are some pieces that are made of a lighter fabric and fit the body better. For women, these pieces are super-flattering. They look casual, but not sloppy. It is both a trendy look and comfortable at the same time.”

A lot of the newer denim is made from chambray, a fine cloth of cotton, silk, or linen, commonly of plain weave with a colored warp and white weft.

Denim is everyone’s favorite, Cernek says. Pair a denim shirt with a black skirt or cheap bracelets a fitted denim blazer with pants for a fresh, new look.

It is best to pair denim with other fabrics, says Laura Schara, trend consultant for Macy’s. Don’t denim on denim.

“A denim jacket is a great piece to have in your closet,” Schara says. “White denim or regular denim goes with a spring dress if it gets chilly outside in the evening. Or wear it with a maxi dress.”

Schara’s fashion tip: Crop the jacket and leave it raw right below the bustline.

A lot of denim pieces today include a stretch component that makes them less “boxy” looking and more form-fitting to a female’s figure. Denim is something that never goes out of style, so your investment will pay off over time, Schara says.

If you are a little more daring, choose a color other than a shade of blue.

“Other colors are not so classic,” Schara says. “Those bold colors are more fun and more for cheap cufflinks risk-takers.”

But a basic jean jacket can be worn by pretty much everyone. Choose one that is age-appropriate and that fits properly.

With a denim skirt, turn it up a notch by combining it with something sophisticated, especially if you plan to wear it to the office.

A jean skirt will never go out of style as long as it’s not too short, says Susan Gregg Koger, co-founder of Modcloth.com.

“Denim can be transformed into something really unexpected, depending on the style and wash,” says Gregg Koger. “If you wear a military-inspired jacket or a cocktail dress in denim, the look is really fresh and chic.”

Denim is a closet must-have, says Lindsay Taylor Huggins, senior fashion market editor for Self magazine. You can wear it on weekends to run errands and it doesn’t look sloppy. You can layer it in cold weather.

Denim has expanded to include leggings and even swimsuits. Some leggings have embellishments to give them a “Saturday night” look, says Cernek. These aren’t for wearing to the grocery store.

“If you are going to only buy one new piece, the denim shirt is by far the way to go,” Taylor cheap earrings says. “It creates a classic silhouette and always looks good.”

Denim has gone beyond just being workwear, says Gregg Andrews, fashion director for Nordstrom. Adding stretch to denim has made it even more comfortable and you can’t tell it has Lycra in it, he says. Denim trench coats also are an interesting way to try this trend.

“Denim is a mainstay in fashion and to see the melting of casual and dressy creates a newness this spring in denim,” Andrews says. “We are seeing lots of chambray, which has a denim look to it. Denim is seasonless.

“And because denim is constantly reinventing itself from dark indigo to ripped and distressed into washed and very faded, it keeps things fresh because the look is constantly changing.”

JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review staff writer and can be cheap jewelry at 412-320-7889 or via e-mail.